Ron O'Brien 🇮🇪

@petemuntean Much louder than I expected, even from a couple of miles away! 🚀

The sound alone made a space geek out of me! 🚀 Here’s one unedited minute of the Artemis II launch from our setup on the press mound. My first time covering a launch from Kennedy Space Center… and I’m not sure I could’ve picked a better one. Thanks to everyone who watched!

@EvilBebeast @abjectbaby The Nazi concentration camps for the first 7-8 years of the Third Reich were all about 'restoring law and order' and 'keeping our people safe'. Once you start going down this route, you're halfway to creating your own Holocaust....those camps eventually led to the death camps.

@abjectbaby Hitler killed innocent Jews Israel want to kill terrorist murderers But I guess it’s all the same for a Muslim

Hitler would never do that because he knew broadcasting the mechanics of systematically killing millions of civilians would shock and disgust the German civilian population. Israelis are different.

@hawk85356 @FurkanGozukara Lots of polls showing strong support for the attacks on Iran and Lebanon - very high numbers.

@FurkanGozukara Not sure how you canvased all the Israelis to come up with 90% ?

Terrifying reality check. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti warns that 90 percent of Israeli society now supports fascist policies and endless war. He explicitly blames the international community for refusing to sanction Israel while they commit genocide and collective punishment.

@peteatowafful @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar I don't know a huge amount about them, but there's no reason to believe that Muslims form a majority within their party or ever will. All five of their MPs are white and middle class for example. Plus, Muslims are only 6% of the British population.

@RonOBrien17 @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar It’s totally different. If the party itself is running on the teachings of a particular religion as being key to its policy making then it’s a recipe for disaster. Religious doctrines are often seen as absolute. This can make it difficult for a party to compromise on.

Zack Polanski’s mum, dad, brother, and sister have formally complained to IPSO after journalists turned up at their family homes. But I’m confused. I thought the Daily Mail "journalist" said his family approached her.

@peteatowafful @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar How would a load of Muslim MPs in Parliament be a bad thing? It would scarcely be any different to a lot of Reform UK MPs being elected. Each would represent their own demographic or base (some would argue this is democracy in action).

@RonOBrien17 @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar Thus being the most likely to at some point to have growing influence on Green policies as well as those put forward to run for seats. Thank you for agreeing that to have this opinion is not far right, but actually logical.

@peteatowafful @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar None of that should come as a surprise. There are very few political parties for Muslims in Britain to gravitate to - Starmer has positioned Labour as right wing and it has its big 'Labour Friends of Israel' faction. The Greens would seem an obvious fit for Muslim voters.

@RonOBrien17 @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar Polanski doesn’t own the party. He is the elected leader at present. The party has had a surge in membership from Muslims, representation in green local councillors has increased & certain party stances look to attract Muslims to vote for them. They are entitled to do this.

@peteatowafful @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar Polanski is a Jewish man and talks about his Jewishness all the time. It's a bit far fetched for anyone to suggest he sees his role as promoting Islam or turning Britain into an Islamic state.

@RonOBrien17 @RachelMboo @I_amMukhtar Why is it far right to think that the greens would be a potential home for a political party focussing on Islamic policies?

@RachelMboo @peteatowafful @I_amMukhtar How else would you describe a far right Jewish relative of his accusing him of fronting up a future 'Islamic state of Britain'?

@RonOBrien17 @peteatowafful @I_amMukhtar “Zionist talk”?

@RachelMboo @peteatowafful @I_amMukhtar ‘He’s currently the leader of the future Islamic party of Britain, that’s what the Green Party is fast becoming,’ said one. ‘And there would be no place for Jews in an Islamic state of Britain.’ That is 100% Reform UK and Zionist talk.

@RonOBrien17 @peteatowafful @I_amMukhtar I wouldn’t think so. Just statistically speaking they’re highly likely to dislike Netanyahu.

@RachelMboo @peteatowafful @I_amMukhtar I'm not sure this is the win she thinks it is : presumably the Jewish family members she quotes who don't like his political views are big Farage and Netanyahu fans.

@RonOBrien17 @peteatowafful @I_amMukhtar She points out that it’s other journalists they’ve complained about, not her. x.com/nicolelampert/…

@peteatowafful @I_amMukhtar So who were the extended family members? First cousins, someone married to his aunt etc? It was a disgraceful route to go down and was trying to suggest his own family hated him.

@I_amMukhtar This is relating to only immediate family. The story last week was not immediate family. It’s pretty straight forward.

@afc_king @loughers2 @NIFLGrounds The US one does mention the country: 'The land of the free and the home of the brave'. The Spanish one has no lyrics, whilst the Dutch anthem references the Netherlands and Maastricht in the full extended version.

@RonOBrien17 @loughers2 @NIFLGrounds The US anthem doesn't mention the country, nor does the Spanish one and the Dutch one mentions another countrybut not their own. Its not unique in that regard.

New flag, New anthem please.

@loughers2 @NIFLGrounds The lyrics are extremely unusual too in that they make absolutely no mention of the country that the anthem is supposed to be about....just venerating a person.

@NIFLGrounds I’ll stick my head above the parapet and be the first to agree with you here about the anthem My previous post explains why I believe it’s time to get rid of GSTK Let’s be honest - it’s anachronistic and belongs to an era of us tugging our forelock to the English - not any more

@PhiBetaData @tiberiusfiles It's been a bizarre one way relationship. If they were ever an American ally or asset in the region, that is long gone. They are smashing up the Middle East (in their desire to take total control of it) and turning everyone against the US in the process.

@tiberiusfiles They will suck it dry and leave the carcass. Believe it. They don’t invest in America (Bermuda holds more U.S. Bonds than Israel - let that sink in!). They don’t fight for us. There hasn’t been an instance where Israel assisted the U.S. in battle unless we’re fighting their war

It’s important to understand that the pressure on Israel has never been greater. The US is losing everything it worked decades for all for Israel — allies, bases, reputation, intelligence, decades gone in smoke. That’s how much Israel has cost the US: it’s killing the empire.

@ToddAppel @tiberiusfiles @DCHNPod It looks like they are going to end Trump's career much sooner than anyone anticipated. Backing them to the hilt will turn out to be a disastrous decision for him.

@tiberiusfiles @DCHNPod So we like Israel? 🤣

@dineen20dineen Interesting that both television and radio went off air by teatime. I don't believe that was at all typical for the era - they must have thought it was sinful or something to have non religious programmes on Good Friday.

Good friday 1965 RTE radio and tv schedule religious programmes and it's been that was for several years and now good friday it's forgotten not a mention about religion

@ProfessorDyl @academic_la Huge - I believe their annual budget is around $200bn.

@academic_la What % of the total budget is that $45 billion?

With everyone talking about the death penalty (rightfully so) everyone is ignoring the truly horrific budget that the Israeli government just passed. Here are some of the highlights: 1) The Ministry of Defense budget grew by 20% to $45 billion, the largest in Israel's history, as sirens from the ongoing war with Iran interrupted the very session in which it was passed. 2) Despite the direct threat of missile strikes, the budget for a program protecting against unconventional weapons was cut by 37%. 3) Billions in discretionary funds (approximately NIS 5 billion) were preserved to fulfill political promises to ultra-Orthodox and settler factions, even as essential social services faced painful cuts. 4) Settlements and National Missions Ministry: Received NIS 400 million ($129.5 million) to support right-wing and religious activities, including NIS 138 million specifically for West Bank settlements. 5) Meanwhile social services were slashed. Cuts of approximately NIS 23.4 million, despite warnings from the Health Minister that the ministry is as vital as defense during wartime. A reduction of NIS 27.5 million to welfare impacting services for vulnerable populations at a time of increased national trauma. Standard public schools saw cuts of NIS 38.3 million, even as the surprise NIS 800 million was added for ultra-Orthodox schools that do not teach core subjects. 6) To manage a deficit target of 4.9% of GDP, the budget includes a rise in Value-Added Tax (VAT) to 18%, increased National Insurance payments, and higher utility prices for water and electricity. Essentially a tax on the poor. 7) A freeze on income tax brackets and tax credit points effectively lowers real post-tax wages by not adjusting them for inflation. 8) Public sector workers will see a reduction in their "convalescence pay" (recovery days), effectively losing about NIS 800 per year. 9) Funding for socio-economic development in Arab communities was slashed by approximately NIS 2 billion, affecting education, health, and crime-prevention programs. The end result is a militaristic country, squeezing what remains of its secular society to fund bombs, settlements and Jewish theocracy, while making life worse for anyone who is not a settler or ultra-orthodox and completely disregarding the needs of its minorities. This is the budget of a theocratic war machine on the decline.

@HelDoc369 @David__Osland @0Calamity It's hard to understand. You would think a person might become more mild and mellow and tolerant as they age, but instead a surprising amount go in the other direction and become cranky and bitter and intolerant. It's not a great way to end up.

@David__Osland @0Calamity Some people seem to become more selfish and rightwing as they get older and vote for things they won’t have to live with themselves. Thank goodness we don’t all do it.

Now that I'm in the demographic myself, I'm completely bewildered by the popularity of Reform among over 65s. How can rapidly ageing ex-punk rockers and mods (or even hippies, for that matter) bring themselves to vote for Farage?

@LutherBliss100 @EssenceOfZam @AaronBastani Israel is the most right wing and racist country in the developed world (by a distance). I'm not going to lose too much sleep over being labelled racist or whatever for criticising a such a regime. Also, their lobbying of foreign governments is the least of their crimes.

@RonOBrien17 @EssenceOfZam @AaronBastani You've literally demonstrated this pattern right here, in this conversation. Maybe you will stop and reconsider your prejudices now? I assume you're not meaning to be racist. But this is not great ^^

We have organisations in this country, such as Labour Friends of Israel and Conservative Friends of Israel who essentially condone this behaviour, and tacitly support it. The craziest thing? If their own constituents did this, here in Britain, they’d call for their arrest.

@LutherBliss100 @EssenceOfZam @AaronBastani It's not anti-Semitic to say that Israel is spending many millions to try and influence overseas politicians. It's reported that AIPAC might have spent $100m on the 2024 US election - that is a freakish amount of lobbying by a foreign state. What do they get in return?

@RonOBrien17 @EssenceOfZam @AaronBastani I mean those groups are pretty active– but all completely above board. They've got websites etc A lot of rot is talked by obsessives and cranks about the supposed hidden hand of the "Israel lobby". It's basically repurposed old-school anitsemitism